Early Season Standout Running Backs

Over the course of the first two weeks of Colorado’s 2020 Fall season, we have seen offensive schemes that are pass-heavy, run-heavy, and balanced between the two. Regardless of the preference between the passing game or running game, every team needs to have at least one running back who can be relied upon to handle the groundwork. There are more than a few running backs who have rushed their way into the spotlight during their first two games, leaving us excited about what they have in store for the future. Below is a list of seven running backs who either have been or may become the featured running back for their team. [player_tooltip player_id="22667" first="Gavin" last="Sawchuk"] - Valor Christian - 2022 - 5’11”, 185lbs Sawchuck is arguably the state’s best running back since Valor alum Christian McCaffrey. The Prep Redzone CO number one-ranked junior running back has racked up 328 rushing yards and six touchdowns off of 19 carries. All being accomplished in less than four full quarters of playing time. Sawchuck is a four-star player with national recognition, and he still has one more year left in his high school career. [player_tooltip player_id="63947" first="Jean-Pierre" last="Luketu"] - Eaglecrest - 2021 - 5’9”, 190lbs Luketu has been nothing less than impressive in the first two games of the season. He has scored three touchdowns in each game and a go-ahead two-point conversion in his first contest. Luketu is a powerful runner with great speed who is difficult to bring down. Expect for him to put on another show as he and the Raptors take on the Overland Trailblazers this Friday. [caption id="attachment_35019" align="alignright" width="226"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-35019" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/07/Jones-posing-226x300.jpg" alt="" width="226" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="22588" first="Q" last="Jones"][/caption][player_tooltip player_id="22588" first="Q" last="Jones"] - Fountain-Fort Carson - 2021 - 5’11”, 185lbs Jones, PRZ CO’s fourth-ranked running back in his class, is leading the state in rushing yards with a total of 476 yards on 38 carries and nine touchdowns. Most of his carries came in last week’s game, where he ran the ball 30 times for 313 yards and five touchdowns, proving that he can carry a heavy workload for his team. [player_tooltip player_id="22559" first="James" last="Walker II"] - Cherry Creek - 2021 - 5’10”, 170lbs Coming off of a 5A title win from last year, Walker II is a very impressive running back. He plays in a system that is designed to get as many players involved as possible. Through these first two weeks, he has had 236 yards on 20 carries with one rushing touchdown. Walker II has taken on the role of being the number one back for the Bruins and ran with it, definitely a player to keep tabs on. [player_tooltip player_id="22643" first="Mason" last="Veve"] - Erie - 2021 - 5’10”, 195lbs PRZ CO’s 10th-ranked running back is an extremely dynamic one. Veve is currently the second-leading rusher in the state with 460 yards on 18 carries and six touchdowns. He has amazing vision, great speed, and unbelievable strength. His next game will be a big one against an undefeated Windsor team, but Veve has yet to shy away from a challenge. [embed]https://twitter.com/mason_veve7/status/1301367702716428288?s=20[/embed] [player_tooltip player_id="63943" first="Moosah" last="Alsaffar"] - Grandview - 5’9 - 2022 Alsaffar is a running back who exploded onto the radar in last week’s tough game against Eaglecrest. He finished that contest with 150 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his season totals to 230 yards and three touchdowns. This Friday, Alsaffar and the Wolves will be taking on the defending state champs, Cherry Creek, making him a must-watch running back. [caption id="attachment_35851" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-35851" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/07/CFF7E05C-BEB6-49BA-A0EE-90F5B5E65C21-300x187.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="187" /> [player_tooltip player_id="22702" first="Dominick" last="Nichols"][/caption][player_tooltip player_id="22702" first="Dominick" last="Nichols"] - Pomona - 2022 - 5’11”, 175lbs Last year, Nichols finished his sophomore season with 512 total rushing yards. He rushed for over 100 yards in four of seven of those games, which resulted in him being PRZ CO’s second-ranked running back in the class of 2022. This year, he finds himself sharing rushing attempts with a very crowded backfield. He has 100 yards on nine carries so far this season, most of which came in week one. This week’s matchup will be against cross-town rival Ralston Valley, a game in which Nichols hopes to get more opportunities to run the ball. Even though he may not have a high amount of touches so far, he is definitely one of the state’s top running backs.